16 September 2011

Arriving in India

So we arrived in Kolkata late evening, managed to take a cab which we had to pay way too much for but anyway, like an hour of a very bumpy ride were the driver nearly hit a few cars and a little boy crossing the street we made it to a quite all right hotel in the "backpacker" area. All the impressions of the city along the way was just overwhelming and I fell asleep like a baby.

Next morning we decided to walk around to find a good place to buy train tickets to Darjeeling. Just walking on the streets in Kolkata is an experience. Never have I seen a place were life is so close to death. And little street kids grabbing your arms following you 5 blocks because they think you'll feed them or give them money just because your white.

And also, walking trough the city is like time traveling. You have old old buildings next to new fancy ones but the fancy ones have piles of garbage and mud just in front of them just like in the medievals times. And you have these old carriages that look they're from 1890, cars from the 50's but also new shiny cars. But most of all it looks like they build a city and just let it fall apart.

Victoria memorial, kolkatta

I guess im just in chock right now. It's so many impressions at once and it's just exhausting dealing with the people in the beginning. I'm really looking forward to get on the train to Darjeeling. It suppose to be way nicer up there and just the train ride it self will be cool.

It sounds like I hate it here, but that's not true. Like I said it's just overwhelming. But i must say I've never felt so popular:) everyone wants to touch you, talk to you and take pictures of you just like a fucking monkey at the zoo. We already been invited to an Indian family's home just because we sat on the same plane from Bangkok as this Indian dude.